The lace of her corset
by Zbluez
Summary: ZoroxRobin. The Strawhats return to Alabasta for a break, and, amidst the chaos and insanity, Zoro can't seem to get the lace of her corset out of his mind.
1. Chapter 1

_A.N: So, my first fanfic! Set sometime after Franky joins the crew, so they all look like they did before the timeskip, and Usopp's still a coward. The Strawhats decide to take a break to go to Alabasta and visit their friend Vivi. I'm not planning on making it too long (less than 10k words, probably).  
_

* * *

**THE LACE OF HER CORSET**

* * *

"Luffy, we said we were going to the palace!"

"But I want FOOD!"

"There'll be plenty of food _in_ the palace!"

There was nothing to be done. Their captain had already run off in the direction of the nearest tavern.

* * *

The party was as rowdy as it usually was when the Straw Hat pirates were involved. Luffy was stuffing his face with anything within his reach – which unfortunately included all the food plates of everyone in the room. Usopp was chasing Chopper around, holding out the newest edition of the super-spicy Tabasco star, shouting that he needed a guinea pig.

"Noooooooo!" Chopper squealed, running away at full speed, knocking tables, chairs and people over in the process. "Why do I have to be your guinea pig?"

"You're the closest thing to an animal here…" Their shouts were lost in the general racket of the room. Franky was also up to his usual stunts. He'd somehow managed to get hold of a firefighter costume… Except that he was missing the pants, and was wearing only a ridiculous pink thong underneath. But then, what would you expect? Franky was Franky.

Zoro was now on his ninth drink – he knew; he'd counted – and feeling a little light-headed, but he wasn't about to stop anytime soon, especially because a substantial amount of money was on the table, and if he won he'd be able to pay off the rest of his debt to Nami, the evil witch. He gulped down the last swallow and slammed down the mug, a wide grin on his face. The stranger opposite him, a rogue with sunglasses, swayed a bit before doing the same a second later. "Mooooooore!" he bellowed, but Zoro could tell it was just a bluff. By the eleventh mug, he was down, and the swordsman's pockets felt reassuringly heavier.

Next to him, Vivi laughed, her hands clasped together delightedly. "I'm so glad you guys are visiting," she squealed over the music. "But why didn't you come to the palace?"

"Oh, we _meant_ to," Zoro assured, pointing in the general direction of his captain. "But you know him. He got sidetracked as soon as he saw the food sign outside." There was no annoyance in his tone, merely resignation.

Vivi laughed again. "Right. Luffy will always be Luffy. What brought you back to Alabasta, any-" The question was left unfinished as she stiffened up, her eyes fixed on something – someone – at the door. Instinctively Zoro straightened too, senses alert, mind sharp; it was only Robin, waltzing in with her usual swagger. He relaxed and let the drunken haze return, his gaze trailing lazily over her body.

Vivi's eyes widened in horror. "Miss All-Sunday," she breathed, fingers frozen.

Her reaction caught Robin's attention, who walked up to them, an amused expression on her face. "Miss Wednesday. Long time no see."

Zoro was too distracted by her sudden appearance, by the way the smile shaped her lips, to realise the full scope of the situation, until Vivi stood up in a clatter and spun her peacock slashers defiantly. "What are you doing here? I won't let you disturb Alabasta again!"

A stunned silence overtook the tavern, imposing enough that even Luffy stopped eating momentarily. Only then did Zoro remember that Vivi would have had no way of knowing about Robin's addition to the Straw Hat crew. "Phi's our phriend, Phiphi. You phave nothing to worry aphout," his captain assured with his mouth full. When she didn't lower her weapons, he swallowed, and insisted: "Robin's not a bad guy. She saved me heaps of times."

"Really?" The princess still didn't look convinced.

Robin chuckled. "Really." After a tense moment she turned around, waving a hand as she strolled to another part of the room, her hips swaying with the movement. Zoro shook his head and searched for something else to occupy his mind with. Fortunately, the party picked up right where it had left off, and there were many distractions, such as Usopp and Franky's improvised fire sketch on top of a table.

"Fire! Fire!" Usopp sang in a girly voice. Then he assumed a manly stance. "But don't worry, Captain Usopp is here to save you! With his assistant Franky," he added as an afterthought. Franky shook his fist in the air, and a jet of water shot out from it, drenching Usopp completely. "Right!" he screamed. "Water Armour!"

"How did she become part of the crew?" Vivi asked, dumbfounded. "Is she really…? I mean, she was Crocodile's right-hand! How do you know she's not…"

"Yeah," Zoro agreed, rubbing his neck. "I didn't trust her at first either." He didn't say anything else, but his mind added the rest. _Though she's not so bad. She knows her stuff. She's smart. Not to mention she's probably the only person in the ship who isn't half-crazy. _He watched her cat eyes light up with hidden laughter as she finally noticed Franky in his ridiculous costume. _And she's…_

He looked down at his empty mug, blaming the alcohol for that last thought.

Vivi remained pensive for a moment, before nodding and smiling again. "Luffy will always be Luffy," she repeated, before Sanji suddenly appeared behind her, eyebrow tilted, and smoothly looped an arm around her shoulders.

"My princess! The time away from you has felt like a knife twisting in my heart with each passing day…" Zoro stopped listening to the moron, who managed to drag her away despite her protests. At moments like these, he really pitied women. He couldn't understand how they didn't smash in the blonde dope's face. But he wasn't really motivated to jump in and help them either. The pair got lost in the multitude, so he leaned back and sighed contentedly, glad for the little bubble of peace from which he could observe what was going on.

Once again, Robin caught his eye. She sat with Nami and Chopper and a lot of other people, playing some card game that looked like fun. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Zoro grabbed a new mug, gulped it down and casually strolled over. He regretted it immediately when he realized it was strip poker, but by then Nami had already caught sight of him and it was too late. "Hey, Zoro! Want to play?" She was obviously winning, and greatly enjoying it too. The pile of clothes amassed in the middle of the table didn't include any of her own.

"No, thanks," he answered, backing away.

"You can bet money instead if you like!" she suggested hopefully, but he kept moving back. "Or maybe…" she taunted, "Are you scared you're gonna lose?"

Him? Scared of losing? He frowned. "No."

Nami turned to Chopper, mimicking his serious expression. "No," she mocked, and they both burst out laughing, which immediately pissed him off. Greatly. "Admit it. You're not man enough."

That was a challenge if he'd ever heard one. He decidedly stomped over and sat on the empty stool next to Robin's without a word, stealing a look at her from the corner of his eye. She hadn't lost any significant piece of clothing yet, but she was missing one sandal. She smiled her unsettling smile at him before looking back at her own cards, and then he got swept up in the pace of the game.

"You lost," Nami declared triumphantly a while after. "Pay up, or give us that. Your choice." Eyebrow twitching, Zoro untied his bandana from his arm and let it drop on the middle of the table. In the hands that followed another man ended up in his underwear and a girl had to take her shirt off, though she had a bikini underneath. Robin had to give up her other sandal.

Amazingly, Nami got eliminated in the next round early on. By the end of it, only he and the black haired woman were left. He turned his body towards her, openly looking at her for the first time. He hoped to be able to tell her hand from her expression, but as always, what she was thinking was a mystery. "Three," he challenged, knowing that she had no more sandals. She raised an amused eyebrow and nodded. They revealed their cards.

"Hahaha!" the man in underwear laughed. "You know the deal, beautiful!"

Robin didn't show any signs of having heard him. She pursed her lips, still holding Zoro's eyes, and brought her fingers to hover above the lace of her corset. Zoro's eyes followed the movement, the triumph in them gradually turning to something else. Her fingers skimmed it, pulling slowly; and his pupils seemed to grow increasingly darker. But then she smiled and took a bracelet off instead.

Zoro looked back up at her eyes. _Well damn_. She had done that on purpose.

Right then Luffy smashed into the table, knocking cups, cards and clothing away, and the game was over.

Hang on. Damn? What exactly was he swearing about? He looked at Robin, who was picking herself up from the ground, shaking her head.

His gaze trailed back to the lace of her corset. Gah. He was starting to become like that idiotic cook. The alcohol was affecting him in more ways than he had thought. He was careful to steer away from Robin for the rest of the night.

At the same time, he knew this wasn't the first time it had happened, nor would it be the last. That woman had intrigued him since the beginning. There was always an aura of mystery and danger around her, an aura which had made him extremely suspicious when she'd first joined, but which he had been finding more and more captivating lately. She had secrets, and though he'd never felt any real need to unravel them, they did make her interesting. Other times, they made him doubt his decision to trust her – like when they were in Water 7, and the whole CP9 business. But that was what made it exciting. She kept him on his toes.

No; he was too drunk to think about all this.

The party ended, and the intoxicated Straw Hats, save for Vivi and Sanji, who were nowhere to be seen, left zigzagging for their ship. Zoro was dragging a dizzy Chopper by the antler (he had apparently been tricked into drinking some of the strongest stuff) and a sleeping Usopp by the nose. Franky and Luffy walked, tripped and laughed on either side of him, while the girls trailed a bit behind.

Suddenly he let Chopper and Usopp go and slapped his hand on his forehead. "Shit! My swords!" Moans of protest floated up from the two on the ground, but he paid them no attention, grabbing Luffy by the collar and shaking him vigorously. "My swords!"

"You left them with the barman," Robin's calm voice wafted from behind. "You didn't want to trip over them and stab yourself."

"I did?" Relief washed over Zoro like warm rain.

Franky rolled his eyes. "It's the fourth time you ask us. And we've only walked – " he looked behind him – "two blocks."

Usopp got up, rubbing his nose, but then tripped and fell again. He lay sprawled on the ground like that, looking at the stars, not seeming to mind it at all when Nami stepped on his arm as she passed him. "Let's hurry up," she commanded. "I'm sleepy."

"Yeah, me too!" Luffy agreed, nodding energetically. "And I'm hungry! Usooooooopp! Up! Up!" After giving him a couple of slaps, he started to run on ahead. The kid was even more hyper than usual.

"Have any of you heard the story of the mermaid and the tree?" asked Franky, his expression serious. They all groaned. "Once there was a mermaid…"

"We know the story," Nami complained.

"Wait uuuup! Nami, my love!" Those words could only come from one person, and, sure enough, the stupid cook was running towards them, his hand reaching out dramatically. "You are the only one for me! My one and only true love!" As he came closer, they all saw how his face was covered in purple bruises, big like plums.

"What happened, bro?" Franky inquired with great curiosity.

Sanji stopped short, looking ashamed for a second. "Koza found me. But my pain is nothing compared to the love I feel for you! Naaaaamiiiii! Oh, hello, Robin," he greeted, smoothly slowing down his pace as he passed her, flipping his blonde hair back. "Have I ever told you that you are loveliest by moonlight?" She chuckled, amused by his theatrics, and Sanji apparently took it as encouragement, because he snaked his arm around her waist and leaned in to whisper something in her ear.

Before he knew what he was doing, Zoro had kicked him away. It felt oddly satisfying – then again, beating up Sanji was always satisfying. Robin turned to him and smiled. "Thanks."

His heart did a funny thing right there. "No problem," he replied, surprised. Oh yeah. He'd just admitted that he couldn't be bothered to help them. So why had he…? but a much more urgent thought pushed those musings aside. "Shit! My swords!"

"You left them with the barman," she explained patiently, the flicker of laughter lighting her blue eyes again. "Honestly, by the way you treasure them, one would think they matter more to you than your own life."

"They do," he replied solemnly.

Franky slapped him on the back. "Yeah! There is only room for those three ladies in his heart! They're the only drives of his passion! Right, bro?"

His eyes involuntarily shifted to Robin's for a moment, and there was a pause before he answered. "Right."

* * *

_Be kind and leave a review :)  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N.: Thanks a lot for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it! ZoRo are my favorite pairing, hehe. On to chapter 2!_

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The next morning Vivi came looking for them at the docks, and found them all sleeping or moaning around the ship with a terrible hangover. "Bleh," groaned Luffy, "I feel like throwing up. And it's hooooooooooot."

"I know what you mean," Sanji agreed, rolling on his stomach. But as soon as he saw the princess, he jumped up and floated over, the throbbing in his head completely forgotten. "Good morning, my darling… Gah!" he cried, as Koza's shadow appeared behind her, and the cook went to hide behind Nami, who'd just climbed up from the ship's hull.

"Oh, hey, Vivi!" she greeted, a huge smile lighting up her face. Trust Nami to _never_ be hungover. "Hey, Koza! What's up?"

The former leader of the rebels cocked his head. "We never really got a chance to thank you for what you did," he started, "and we couldn't talk properly yesterday…"

"And there's a favor we would like to ask of you," Vivi completed.

Robin watched as the three of them chatted from her usual seat by the tangerines. As if sensing her gaze, Vivi's eyes lifted up to meet hers, frowning. Robin couldn't really blame her; she would be suspicious too if she were in her shoes. They had, after all, been mortal enemies once. She smiled and waved, hoping the gesture would reassure her, but Vivi's frown only deepened.

Sighing, she looked back down to her book. Sometimes she didn't seem to be able to get the message across. It was a bit insulting that people always thought the worst of her, but then again, she was used to it: before joining the Straw Hats, she _had_ been the worst.

Yesterday night had been crazy. She didn't usually slip with alcohol, but that time she had, and although she knew that she could keep decently rational even when she was dead drunk, it still irritated her. Oh well, it had been fun. She chuckled to herself, remembering Franky.

A shadow fell on her book, distracting her from her thoughts. "What're you reading?" he asked gruffly.

There was also _him_, of course, though she couldn't fathom why _he_ suddenly showed an interest in her books. He certainly never had before. "_The Checkered Islands: A study…" _she informed, still wondering why he cared.

Zoro rubbed his neck. "Looks boring."

She smiled. "Hungover?"

"Yeah." He walked around and sat on the empty folding-chair next to hers, leaning his head back and sighing. Why had he come here again? Oh yeah. For the same reason he'd walked up to that stupid card game, which was no reason at all. Right. He ought to go back to training. But he stayed put, pretending to watch the scene on the deck. Suddenly, Nami screamed.

"A formal dance? For real?"

Oh, no. No no no no. Zoro groaned, and Robin smiled knowingly.

"Of course we'd love to go! Right, Luffy?"

"What?"

"You see, he's completely for it! I'll finally get the chance to dress up like a true princess! Whoa! Let's go shopping! I'll get to wear jewellery!" she swooned, hands clasped together.

"Nami will dress up like a princess," Sanji echoed, drooling.

Vivi giggled nervously. She had forgotten how insane her friends were. "Right. So we'll be waiting for you at sundown at the main hall. Don't get sidetracked!" She shot one more nervous look around before grabbing Koza's hand and dragging him out of the ship.

"So, what's the deal about this dance?" asked Franky, leaning on the railing to pick himself up from the ground.

Nami paid him no mind, spinning in circles in lalaland, and it was Usopp, who'd been lying nearby, who answered. "They said they needed us to be bodyguards or something."

"Really?" Luffy was up with his eyes shining. "Bodyguards? Cooooool."

Zoro gave up all hope then. When Luffy had that moronic face on, it meant he was going to drag them with him no matter what. Sighing, he got up. "I probably should go get my swords back." He judged the position of the sun; they'd slept past noon. He wouldn't have much time to train before he'd have to prepare.

"Right," Robin replied. "Try not to get lost."

"How could I get lost? The tavern is right down that street."

"Right," she repeated, smiling, which unnerved him. He was about to reply something else when his eyes caught at the lace of her corset again. Curse that lace. He forced himself to tear them away and stalked off.

(One had to wonder how Zoro could tell what hour it was when looking at the sun, but was hopeless telling North from South. Well, he wasn't hopeless; North and South just kept switching places every few minutes, just to annoy him.)

But sure enough, he had no trouble finding the tavern. He talked to the barman, who was still cleaning up the place after last night's party, and found his swords underneath a pile of clothes. He rescued them with mild irritation, hating that they'd been treated so casually. He would never part with them like that - better to stab himself than let them get out of his sight. He checked they were loose in their sheaths and hung them at his side.

He was about to leave when he spotted one of Robin's sandals in the pile. This must be from that hazy game of poker. He fished around for his bandana and, after a second of hesitation, took Robin's sandals, and her bracelet, too. She was probably missing them. He ought to bring them back. Yeah.

Ironically, although he'd had no trouble finding the tavern, he got lost on his way back to the ship, and ended up on a beach, facing the sea. _Well,_ he thought, _if I walk along the shoreline I'm bound to come across the docks sometime, _and off he was.

Meanwhile, Nami and Sanji had gone shopping (it was mostly Nami doing the shopping, and Sanji merely carrying the hundreds of bags like a camel, but he didn't seem to mind.) She saw a violet dress that she liked a lot and thought would be a good contrast with her hair. "You are beauty personified, my love," Sanji confirmed, and, after some rather one-sided haggling, she bought the dress, satisfied.

A small shadow followed them from a distance. It was Chopper, and he had a huge problem. No shop owner took a reindeer seriously when it asked to buy a formal suit. And besides, none had a suit so small that it wouldn't look like a dress on him. But he didn't want to trouble Nami and Sanji either. They looked like they were really busy; and, if he explained, they would probably laugh at him. So he just followed them, utterly lost as to what to do. He could have asked Zoro, if he were here, because the swordsman was strong and always seemed to know what to do, but he'd strolled away a couple of hours ago and hadn't come back.

"Chopper?" Sanji asked, finally spotting him. Chopper squealed and froze.

"Chopper?" Nami repeated, kneeling so she'd be at his height. "What's wrong?"

So Chopper told them his problem, and, to his mortification, they did laugh at him. "It's alright, Chopper," she reassured. "I know just the right place for you."

Chopper cheered up. "We should buy something for Zoro, too."

The three of them arrived at the ship with barely an hour left until sunset. Robin was still reading on the deck. "Robin!" Nami called. "Aren't you getting ready?"

"Yes. One moment." She marked the page and looked up, surprised by how much the sun had moved. _So he has gotten lost,_ was her first thought, and she chuckled to herself. Trust the swordsman to go missing at the most crucial times.

She stood up and went into her cabin to dress up. She quite liked the refinement of formal dances. They were her type of gathering.

* * *

Zoro groaned. He'd walked for hours, and still he hadn't found the damn ship or the damn docks. He gave up and sat down against a wall, resolving to take a nap and forget about the whole deal altogether. "Sir?" a boy asked, approaching him, and the swordsman shot him such a glare he started trembling, but to give the kid credit, he stayed where he was. "Orange?" he offered, holding up the round fruit hopefully. A box full of them hung from his neck. A street vendor.

Zoro was about to send him away when he remembered he hadn't eaten anything all day, and his stomach growled voraciously. So he bought the orange and swallowed it whole, Luffy-style. "Hey, you," he growled, just as the kid was scurrying off. "Do you know where the docks are?"

"Uh, yes sir," he replied, shivering with fear. "Right over there, sir."

Zoro looked to where he was pointing behind him and saw that indeed, there was the ship. _Huh. How come I didn't see it?_ He got up and strolled over to it, just as the rest of the crew was getting down, all dressed up.

"Zoro!" Luffy grinned. The only thing he'd changed about his outfit was putting a formal jacket over his red shirt, which made him look even more stupid than usual. "Where were you? We were worried!"

He shrugged. His eyes shifted to Robin, and the vision hit him like a truck.

She wore a completely black midnight dress which flowed smoothly to her ankles, outlining all her curves. Her back was bare, lit by the last copper rays of the sun. The dress had a slit on the side, showing a long, tan leg, ending in a graceful high heel. He swallowed.

Her hair was held up with silver pins, revealing an elegant swan neck. The image of pressing his lips against the smooth skin overtook his mind, and he swallowed again. With a tremendous effort, he managed to tear his gaze away. "Anyway," Franky interrupted, "You gotta go get ready, bro."

"We bought you clothes, they're in your room," Nami sang, making him immediately grow suspicious. A favor from Nami equalled debts. Sure enough, she added angelically, "I'll charge you twice the price, once for the clothes and once for the service." And she skipped merrily away, followed by Sanji.

Zoro groaned. He did not want to go to the stupid dance at all. What was the deal with the bodyguard thing anyway? But before he could object Franky slapped him on the shoulder and pushed him towards the ship. "I know, bro, I'll help you get ready. See you at the palace, guys," he called. Before they disappeared into the ship, Zoro glanced back and caught Robin's clear blue eyes. He held up her sandals with a quizzical look, to which she smiled and nodded, mouthing, _just leave them there._

_..._

"Why do I have to wear this thing again?" asked Zoro, tugging uncomfortably at the green tie. Green? Seriously? Did Nami think it would match with his hair or something?

Franky grinned. "So you can dance with Robin. Stunning, wasn't she?"

"Huh?"

The cyborg wriggled his eyebrows. "Don't play dumb. I bet even Luffy thought she was smokin'."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Zoro grumbled. Oh _hell_ he knew what he was talking about. "And I don't dance, anyway."

"Sure," Franky replied, in that way which meant he knew exactly what was going through his head.


	3. Chapter 3

They got to the palace when the dance had already started, but nobody seemed to mind. A vicious bulldog of a woman guarded the entrance, blocking their way with an unfriendly expression. "No weapons allowed inside," she growled, looking at his swords, which he had clasped to his side with a thin belt under his jacket. Franky waved two badges with the word 'bodyguard' painted on them in red letters. She inspected them for a long time before grudgingly letting them through.

Zoro appraised the room with a professional glance, noting the layout of the tables, the people present, the placement of the windows. Everything was so fancy, with spider glass lamps hanging from the ceiling, all sorts of golden paintings on the walls and great velvet curtains falling over the windows. He groaned mentally. This place was too refined for him.

The man they were supposed to guard was apparently some hot-shot businessman who dealt in diamonds. He was immensely fat, and chewed on a cigar that seemed to grow from his beard, but had a general friendly air about him. Chopper and Usopp were standing firm on either side of him, taking their duty very seriously. "…And, don't forget, always watch your surroundings like a hawk," the marksman finished his list of bodyguarding guidelines. Chopper nodded seriously.

Nami was talking to their employer, her eyes shining, meaning it was probably about the money – or diamonds, knowing her – they would receive in exchange for their services. Luffy, as always, stuffed his face, his obligations completely forgotten. The air-head blonde was nowhere to be seen at first, but then Zoro spotted a throng of women converging around one point, and he presumed that was him. He consciously refused to look for Robin.

Someone entered the space he always watched around himself, his zone, from behind him. He turned, hand on his sword, but it was just Vivi and Koza walking together, her arm in his. She, too, was dressed in an impressive golden dress, blue hair tumbling down in a waterfall, looking every bit royal. Her companion kept staring at her like a lovesick goon. "Hey," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, bro," replied Franky, nodding at both of them. It occurred to Zoro then that they didn't know each other. It didn't seem to stop them from immediately jumping into a heated conversation about candy. Go figure. If a royal princess, a rebel leader and a cyborg had something in common, it was candy. Candy united the world.

He drifted away from all the insanity, looking for a bit of calm. And beer.

He found the beverages table one one side of the hall, out of the way of the dancers. But all they had was expensive wine with fancy French names. The cook and Nami would have liked it. He didn't. He set it down with a grimace and, reminded of his hunger again, decided to join Luffy, who was currently attacking a whole boar by himself at the food table. "Mish ish good," he mumbled appreciatively. "Hey, Shoro, want shome? Theresh fplenty!"

"Yeah," he grumbled, sitting down next to him. For some reason, he was feeling depressed. It was this place. All those dressed up nobles and the fancy cutlery. It made him feel lost.

But his hand paused on the way to his mouth, the food completely forgotten as he spotted Robin out of the corner of his eye. _Don't look at her. Don't look at her._ But his eyes seemed to have a will of their own. He turned slowly, his gaze trailing over the curves of her black dress and her bare leg appreciatively. He wasn't even drunk. But damn, she was... How had Franky put it? "Smokin'."

"Huh? What did you say?"

"MrshNothin'," he mumbled, resuming his eating. Who was that guy talking to her? He looked like one of those sophisticated nobles. His clothes were immaculate, with jewels and golden threads hanging all over the place. He held himself with confidence – no; not the confidence of a rogue who knew his own abilities, but rather the arrogance of a spoiled kid who always had others do the fighting for him. As Zoro watched, she smiled and nodded, and he took her by the waist and led her to the dance floor, where couples were already twirling in a fancy vals. A knot twisted in his stomach. Zoro didn't dance, but right now he would have traded places with that noble without a second thought.

Franky miraculously appeared and sat next to him, leaning back on the table. "So," he started, following his line of sight. After a pause, he added, "I'd say he's trying something with our little kitten." Zoro shrugged, ignoring how the knot got tighter and tighter as the dumbshit pulled her closer.

Franky looked sideways at him. "Are you just going to sit here?"

He shrugged again. Robin and the man twirled to an edge of the dance floor. She said something, he kissed her hand - Zoro's guts burnt with acid - but then the princeling left her, weaving through the crowd to the beverages table. Franky knocked him on the ribs. "Your chance, dude." When Zoro didn't make a move to get up, he grinned and added, "Or are you not man enough?"

Robin watched as a blob of green hair approached among the crowd. Zoro was scratching his head, in that way he often did when he was puzzled (most of the time), uncomfortable (rarely) or nervous (hardly ever). He was quite the amusing sight, dressed in a Sanji-type suit and green tie that made him shift uneasily, his three swords still at his waist, and looking every bit out of place in the elegance of the ballroom.

He caught her eyes, then looked away, cursing under his breath, but didn't stop walking. "Hey," he greeted, finally stopping in front of her. "You look… Great." His eyes raked over her body in a blatant once-over. She couldn't help it; her heart rate quickened.

"You look like you'd rather be covered in blood and dirt," she replied, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah. Well. I would," he confessed, his tone leaking a mild annoyance. "So…" He trailed off, and she raised an eyebrow, taking pleasure in making him squirm. She had to admit it was sort of cute to see him trying so hard to be articulate when normally all he did was grunt. "You having fun?"

She chuckled. "Yes, very much. I haven't gone to one of these dances in a long time." She smiled with feeling. "I was starting to miss it."

Zoro was momentarily stunned by that smile and then swore to himself again. He was out of his depth here. Why had he let Franky convince him to do this? He had to do something about his stupid manly pride. He sighed, and then decided to give up and act as he always did, leaning back on the wall and looking up. This thing with Robin would never work anyway. They'd been friends for so long that anything else was hard to imagine. He looked sideways at her. Hard to imagine… Yeah. She liked princelings with golden clothes that would sweep her off her feet, not awkward swordsmen.

He sighed again, relieved that he'd finally decided on something. It wasn't going to happen, and that was that. "At least one of us is happy," he grumbled bitterly. "Do you know what the deal is with this stupid mission?"

"More or less. That man," she gestured towards their fat, beardy client, "has come to negotiate with King Cobra the opening of a new diamond mine near Yuba. Unfortunately, the soldiers are quite busy helping to rebuild the towns all across the country, and security can never be too tight… It would be bad if anything happened to him. The negotiations would mean a great opportunity for the kingdom to boost its economy and re-establish its trade with other nations. If somebody wanted to hurt Alabasta while they're still recovering, going after this man would be one of the best ways to do it." Zoro noted the calm professionalism of the assessment, wondering if it was a leftover habit from her days as an assassin.

"Do you think something will happen?"

She looked pensive. "Probably, in my opinion. Some of Baroque Work's Millions are still free, and Alabasta also has enemies outside its borders." She lapsed into silence, and then smiled. "But nothing Luffy can't handle."

Zoro smiled in return. "Only if he stops stuffing his face."

Not too far from them, Sanji was feeling like he was in heaven. _I mean, look at all these beauties, dressed in graceful but risqué dresses, just the way I like them, all paying attention to me. Yum._ They crowded around him, probably thinking he was some rich young prince or at least a noble by the way he was dressed. He certainly wasn't going to be the one breaking to them that he was, in fact, just a measly pirate acting as a bodyguard.

Putting an arm around a blonde, he spotted Nami and waved. "Hey, Nami! Over here!" She gave him a look he didn't quite understand and turned her back to him. Cold. Oh well. His attention wandered back to the blonde, who was giggling and smiling up at him, showing an impressive cleavage. Definitely, this was heaven.

Right then Chopper smelled something weird. He tuned out Usopp's ramblings for a moment and cocked his head, trying to figure out what it was, but with the mix of food smells and smells of people he couldn't be quite sure. "Do you smell that?" he asked anyway.

Usopp made a show of sticking his long nose up in the air and sniffing loudly. "Nope. What is it?" One would think that such a long nose could be actually of some use, but it was entirely the opposite. Gravity tended to make snot clog up at the beginning of it and air usually had trouble passing through, which was also the reason for his nasal voice.

"It smells a bit like… Gunpowder?" People's heads curiously turned towards the reindeer when he said the word, at the same time as he realized the horror of it. "Gunpowder!" In an instant he changed to his biggest form and pushed their fat client behind a table, and then the whole room exploded.

Robin looked up at Zoro, who had pinned her to the ground a second before the explosion, as soon as he'd heard Chopper shout. He was now lying on top of her, the planes of his body pressed hard against her, one of his arms cushioning her head and the other around her waist. He looked back at her, very conscious on their position, his lips suddenly dry. He had to moisten them before he could speak. "Are you all right?"

Robin chuckled. The movement caused a friction between their tightly-pressed bodies that had him frozen, his hands hot around her body. The tension seemed to be only on his part, though, because she wasn't even looking at him. Her blue eyes were fixed on a spot above his shoulder, amused. "Yes."

Zoro turned his head, wondering what she was laughing at, and found himself nose to nose with a huge block of stone hanging just above them, which would have crushed them both, and all the people on the ground near them, had not a hundred of Robin's arms been holding it up.

He blushed, embarrassed that it was actually her who had saved him and not the other way round. She probably thought him stupid for wanting to play knight. He looked down at her again, knowing he was supposed to get off and push the block of stone away, but a part of him refused to move.

They were both breathing hard, and he could feel the perfect fit of her body into his and the rising and falling of her chest against him. It was driving him mad.

Their eyes locked. In the space between the ground and the rock they were safe from all prying eyes. He looked down at her swan's neck and swallowed. The urge to kiss it, to caress it with his tongue, was much stronger than before. She seemed to have noticed it this time, because when he looked back up at her face her blue eyes were wide and her lips slightly parted, her breath blowing warmly over his skin.

As he was about to lean down, someone from the outside lifted the rock off them. Zoro immediately rolled away from her and stood up, pretending nothing had happened. He watched out of the corner of his eye how Sanji offered his hand to help Robin up. Jesus. What had he been about to do?

* * *

_A.N.: Yes, I'm a dirty little bastard for ending it in a cliffhanger. Don't worry, just one more chapter to go before this little four-shot is over. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated :) What did you think of Zoro in a suit?_


	4. Chapter 4

_A.N: It gets very T towards the end. T, as in T. Not M. But still T. You know what I mean._

* * *

Robin had never been big on feelings. She believed in friendship, of course; it was one of the things that being with the Strawhats had taught her, and it had been wonderful. Now that she thought about it, before joining the crew she had never had any true feelings at all. They had to be discarded, buried, for the sake of survival. It had been Luffy's enthusiasm at first, Sanji's smooth flirting, Chopper's and Usopp's innocence, Nami's understanding talks what had slowly taught her how to feel again. They had all made sure she was included, trusted her from the very beginning, put their lives in her hands without a doubt. They were the first people in her life who had accepted her as she was. And truly, Robin hadn't been expecting much when she joined the Straw Hat crew, but the experience had been so new, so different – she had learned what it was like to be _alive._ Now she cherished them as her irreplaceable friends, more than friends, _nakama_ – a word she could never have dreamed of using before – and she would go to the end of the world and back for them. She _was_ going to the end of the world and back _with_ them.

But Zoro… He was different. Perhaps because they had both been killers in the past, so they were both aware of the dangers an old enemy could bring. They were less innocent about the ways of the world. And maybe the danger was what had set off the attraction. She wasn't a woman to be especially attracted to muscles (in fact, she found smart conversation much more pleasing) but she couldn't deny that, at times, Zoro made her heart throb. There was just something about him, something about his passion when he fought, the innocence on his face when he slept, something about the way he didn't really seem to _need_ anyone but was so fiercely protective at the same time. He had saved her life too, numerous times, just as she had saved his.

She took Sanji's hand and smiled. "Thanks." She should be looking for the bomber, but right now, all she could think about was what had nearly happened under the rock. She stole a glance at him, curious – he seemed to be looking everywhere but at her. So she _hadn't_ just imagined it. But, of course, they both had to pretend nothing had happened.

It was so sweet that he'd shielded her with his body, that his first reflex had been to protect her, even if she didn't need any protecting. It was sweet that he'd asked if she was alright. Somehow, she couldn't imagine anyone else from the crew whispering those words in her ear as he shielded her from an explosion.

While Robin was mulling over her thoughts Chopper had jumped up from the floor and lifted his nose to the air, sniffing. Everything reeked of gunpowder now, but he thought maybe he could try to track down where exactly the explosion had taken place, and maybe catch who had set it off. His nose picked up something, and he bolted towards it without a look back.

Luffy saw Chopper bolt and he was quick to follow, a slow, building anger palpitating in his chest. He couldn't understand how anyone would try to harm the princess of Alabasta or any other of the guests gathered here, after all they had done, everything they'd sacrificed for this country. He was more furious than he'd been in _weeks. _A dark look, seldom seen, settled in his eyes as he made his way towards the reindeer.

Chopper was staring intently at a dark shape crouched on the roof of one of the surrounding buildings. As soon as the shape realized they were watching, it disappeared.

Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed the corner of the roof before propelling himself forwards. He flew up into the sky and looked below, squinting, finally spotting the shape about to escape through a window. "Oh no you don't!" he cried, extending an arm again to grab it.

Meanwhile, Usopp sat up painfully, rubbing his butt. Why did these things always happen to him? So he'd agreed to be a bodyguard, but he'd never expected to actually face any danger! Whatever the case, the attacker seemed to have run off after setting off the explosion. Heh. No doubt scared by the fearsome presence of Captain Usopp, infamous monster-slayer and...

Now was not the time. He glanced around the destroyed room once more, then spotted a shadow quickly scurrying out into the street. "Hey!" he called. When the shadow didn't turn back, he jumped up. "Guys, look! He's getting away!" The Straw Hats' faces whirled in his direction, and Sanji, Nami and Franky started following him, all of them running after the shadow.

* * *

Zoro and Robin looked at each other as the rest of the Straw Hats started the chase, a current of understanding passing between them, and they both nodded and headed towards their client. They spotted other suspicious shadows scurrying off, but they didn't take the bait. They were killers; they weren't so innocent about the ways of the world. _Divide and conquer_ was the simplest, yet most effective strategy in military history; if they chased, they would be divided, and, more importantly, would be leaving their client unprotected. Zoro pulled the fat man up with a strong arm while Robin surveyed their surroundings.

"Huff," the man breathed through his beard. "Huff." He looked around, seeming disoriented. "What-"

"We'll take you someplace safe," Robin assured, and after nodding at each other again, she and Zoro led him out of the building and towards their ship… But as they were stalking through the dark alleys, three shapes cut them off, and another three appeared behind them.

"Step away from that man!" One of them threatened in a shrill voice. "Or you'll get what's coming to you!"

Zoro pushed up one of his swords with his thumb, but Robin's voice stopped him. "Let me."

A dozen arms appeared then, two around each attacker, strangling them and making them crumble to the floor. She calmly strolled over to one of them and kicked her – it was a woman – once. The woman let out a groan of pain. "Who sent you?" Robin requested in a completely unfeeling voice. Since she didn't get a reply, she crouched besides her and neared her face to hers. "I can do worse things than kick you," she threatened softly, and the woman's leg broke in a shuddering crunch. Her cry was sharp and piercing.

Zoro watched somberly, but also with a certain awe. This was the other side of Robin, the mysterious, deadly side that sent chills down his spine – yes, even he, great pirate hunter Zoro, got chills looking at that woman. Everything about her screamed dangerous. The moon shone brightly above, making her even more frightening as it reflected off her eyes in a steely glint. But she was also incredibly beautiful.

_You are loveliest by moonlight_. That cook had no idea. By moonlight, and wearing that dress, Nico Robin was overwhelming.

"So?" she repeated, voice still deadly smooth. Oh jesus. How could he be finding her sexy when she was torturing a confession out of someone? There was something wrong with his head.

"No one," the woman gasped. "We were hoping – to capture important guests – and ask – for a ransom."

* * *

The mission ended peacefully. All the shadows the Straw Hats had run after were part of the same gang – a band of bandits, leftover Millions, whose only purpose was kidnapping Alabasta's nobles and ask for money in return for their freedom. They brought all the criminals together and threw them in jail, and nothing more ever came out of it.

"Thanks a lot," Vivi smiled at all of them. "You can't imagine how grateful I am. Why don't you – " She breathed in deeply before continuing. "Why don't you stay here for a while? We can keep it a secret, and…"

Nami abruptly hugged her. Vivi tensed, but then relaxed in her arms. "We're so glad to see you again, Vivi," the navigator said. "You have no idea how much I've missed you." They had been such good friends in the past. Nami wasn't just glad - she was brimming with joy that the explosion hadn't hurt her. Vivi would always be a part of the crew, even if – even if she didn't travel with them. "Of course we can stay, for a little while. We came back just to see you, after all. Right, Captain?"

Luffy grinned, showing all his teeth like a kid. "Right."

Zoro smiled. He'd missed the princess too. She was sort of like his little sister – and one of the strongest people he'd known. Brave, proud. You had to be, to save a country. He held a respect for her that he didn't award to many.

Nami and Vivi started walking away. "You know, I miss the royal baths... I want to scrub all this soot off." As soon as he heard that, Sanji was behind them.

"I'm willing to help, ladies, if-"

"NO YOU DON'T, YOU PERV!" They both turned around at the same time and punched him on the head, leaving him unconscious, before keeping walking as if nothing had happened. Between working out their payment and catching up on all sorts of girl stuff, they probably wouldn't make it back to the ship tonight.

One by one, the pirates went to bed. Zoro caught a glimpse of Robin as she descended into the hull, her dress flowing smoothly over her body, and his heart started acting funny again. He quickly looked away and settled his head on the railing, preparing for his watch, but the image of her stayed burnt in his retinas.

Damn. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

The noise of steps woke him up, but he pretended he was still asleep, as the steps drew closer and stopped in front of him. By the cadence of them, he could tell they were Robin's. Damn, double damn. Now not only did she plague him in dreams, she had to come and torment him when he was awake, too. And what a dream it had been. Midnight Robin, as he'd come to think of her dangerous side, dressed in a sort of a mix between her black dress and usual corset, the laces weaving over her front. Her eyes blue, fixed, with moonlight in them. He could still taste her skin on his tongue.

She knelt and set something besides him, and, this time, he had to open his eyes. "Breakfast," she explained, not seeming surprised to see him awake. She didn't make a move to get back up. They simply stared at each other, remembering all the moments they'd been through lately.

The rays of dawn played on her black hair, casting golden and red reflections. Her eyes were as blue and clear as in his dream, simply staring. He couldn't tear his gaze away.

He did the only thing he could think of doing in that moment. He pulled her closer and kissed her.

Robin did a sort of surprised gasp thing and lost her balance, which made them both fall over. Still Zoro didn't end the kiss until gravity pulled them apart as she scrambled to her knees. He sat up too and they stared some more for a few heartbeats. "You kissed me," she stated, her unsettling smile slowly spreading on her lips.

"Yeah." He paused. "I guess I did." He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, his blood was raging. What was he doing? What would she do now?

Robin looked at him, at the shine in his dark eyes, at the copper sun on his green hair, and smiled. She bent down and brought their lips together again. His lips, at first, were warm and firm.

She had sometimes secretly wondered if this man, who was so passionate in anything that involved blood and war, would have the same passion, the same fire, in matters of love. He did. The kiss started slowly, but he gradually pulled her down on top of him and forced her lips open with his tongue. It was intoxicating, hot and humid. She could feel his chest rising and falling rapidly beneath hers.

But he suddenly pushed her away and straightened up, not looking at her.

"Sorry," he apologized after a silence, avoiding her eyes. "Shouldn't have done that."

Robin stood up, shaking her head. She had expected it – of course he'd hold himself back. For all his bravery, he was still scared of the unknown. She headed back to the kitchen, a slow smile drawing itself on her face. Right about now, the swordsman would be thinking thoughts like _love dulls the blade_ and whatever swordsmen thought when they were trying to resist a temptation that would distract them from their training.

She opened the door to the kitchen, and Sanji was there, still cooking Luffy's portion of the breakfast. "Good morning again, beautiful," he greeted.

"Good morning." Yes, he would be thinking those thoughts. Or at least _trying_ to. Any moment now… Possibly in five… four, three –

A rough hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back out of the kitchen, before pressing her against the door and kissing her again. Robin smiled as he licked her lips, her jaw, her neck, and his fingers slid down her skin.

_God, her skin._ Zoro had dreamed so many times about the taste of it, and it was much better than what he'd fantasized about, tasty, salty in its own mysterious way, like the sea. It was driving him insane. "Robin," he breathed. She made a sound between a sigh and a soft moan and he lost control right then and there, knowing that he couldn't settle for a kiss. He needed more.

He started pulling her along the corridors of the ship, and they entered her room, still kissing. She somehow found a way to get his shirt off and her fingers splayed over his muscular chest, his heart rate picking up under them. He pulled back a moment to look at her, eyes hooded, and slowly he reached up to the lace of her corset.

The midnight dress had looked amazing on her, but that lace had been haunting him for such a long time. He slowly pulled on it, enjoying the mesmerizing feeling of finally watching it come undone.

* * *

_A.N.: So, that was the end. Thoughts? I appreciate all feedback, positive and negative.. What did you think of Dark Robin? __Your impression on the fic overall? What do you think I could improve on?  
_

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot to me. Hope you liked it :)  
_


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